‘ No sail order’ issued for US-based cruise ships

A ‘no sail order’ for 100 days has been extended by the United States Centres for Disease Control & Prevention.

In the near future it bars cruise lines from boarding passengers or return to sailing schedules.

Around 100 cruise ships in the Atlantic, Pacific or Gulf of Mexico must now remain idle, either in port or wallowing at anchor and those ships currently have nearly 80,000 crew aboard.

Most operations have been voluntarily suspended by the Cruise ship Lines leaving a small number of ships left at sea with passengers aboard.

Many have struggled to find ports that will allow their passengers to disembark.

In recent weeks, officials also launched a broadside at cruise lines, stating at least ten ships have reported crew or passengers that tested positive or experienced respiratory symptoms or influenzas-like illness.

CDC is aware of 20 cruise ships at port or anchorage in the US with known or suspected Covid-19 infection among the crew who remain on board.

While the latest decision is an extension of a ‘no sail order’ released in mid-March.

CDC director Robert Redfield mentioned that they were working with the cruise line industry to address the health and safety of crew at sea as well as communities surrounding US cruise ship points of entry.

To stop the spread of Covid-19 the measures were taken which are necessary to protect Americans. They will continue to provide critical public health guidance to the industry to limit the impacts of COVID-19 on its workforce throughout the remainder of this pandemic.